The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
- 21 minutes ago
- 3 min read
"Let's a-Go!"
Bigger, faster and sure to be a Billion Dollar hit, THE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE is an enjoyable barrage of video game action and laughs for all ages. Funny enough to entertain my 12 year old grandson and not too scary for his 3 year old brother, this one is sure to pack in families this long Easter weekend.
Building off the fun of the first film, this one plunges us into the action immediately.
Princess Peach (Anya Taylor Joy) opens the film with some nice legend building before she is kidnapped by the tiny but ambitious Bowser Jr, hilariously voiced by Benny Safdie.
The IMAX visuals and sound mix in this opening sequence drops you right into the Nintendo world and everyone in our sold out screening was wow'd. That's a lot of kids getting very quiet, very quickly. The $110 million budget is all over the big screen, with minute details and legacy video game easter eggs hidden everywhere.
We're then popped into a desert setting with Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) riding motorcross bikes across massive hills as the camera pulls in right behind, above and around them. On the big screen, the fun quotient is off the charts for anyone who has ever played the game.
I felt like the filmmakers this time out are even more committed to giving us full size renditions of our favorite parts of the game, from its very first, blocky game versions (that I played decades ago) to the most current stunning 4k iterations.
Some vocal critics, obviously mistaking this family film that's built for fun as a self important drama, have derided "a lack of plot" and the lack of "a more cohesive story".
Huh? Have they ever played a video game?
The film moves quickly from one universe to the next, barraging us with familiar characters like Yoshi (Donald Glover), Toad (Keegan Michael-Key) along with some nice additions like Glen Powell as Fox McCloud, the most Han Solo-like Fox in the universe.
Wild worlds abound across the universe and the story pops back and forth quickly as Mario and Luigi race through them to save Peach. Rosalina (Brie Larson) is also off to save Peach and her scene in an alt universe Las Vegas is a stunner. The action takes place on all four walls, "Inception" style and the background action is a testament to the thousands of artists that created this cinematic world.
Luis Guzman (Carlito's Way, Boogie Nights) almost steals the movie as Wart, ruling that casino world with lazy domination.
Jack Black is back and hilarious, serving up plenty of fun and intrigue as we try to figure out if his legendary villain Bowser is still a bad guy. Has he changed? A little one next to me whispered loudly at one point "Is he really good now?" Stay tuned.
The amount of cosmic worlds, different settings and fast paced action is sure to keep kids of all ages entertained.
There are power ups of every variety here. While the kids enjoy the characters and the action, adults can appreciate that every camera angle and setting is pretty stunning. The movie looks AND sounds great for every moment of its 98 minute run time, which is just about perfect for the kids. At the cost of a $1 million a minute, the film delivers every dollar on screen.
Brian Tyler's score is always there and very enjoyable. Tyler (Avengers: Age of Ultron) keeps it fun and majestic from start to finish.
THE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE is pure popcorn fun for the family. I enjoyed it just as much if not more than the original. With the world building out of the way, this one just hits the ground running and never takes a breath. Space adventure, chase sequences, dinos, underwater worlds, game play? Yes on ALL counts, earning a solid B, slightly better than the B- I gave the first movie.
There are two post credits scenes. The one mid credits is actually pretty dark and left our crowd mumbling, but the surprise at the very end after the credits rolled left our audience cheering about what lies ahead in a third film.
With a $350 million opening weekend looming, I would expect that film will hit theaters Easter Weekend 2029!
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